


Best Served Cold

by SwordofRebecca



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh
Genre: Drama, General
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-12
Updated: 2009-12-12
Packaged: 2017-10-04 08:59:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwordofRebecca/pseuds/SwordofRebecca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Author's Notes: I wasn't really  sure what to do with this fic, until I realized that some of the fics  posted to the LJ comms, "InsertPhrase" and "100Leitmotifs"  could easily be a series of one-shots(like kibbles and bits), and  some could be combined into a single fic. I decided to treat this fic  as chapter one of a larger fic since some of the challenges could  easily be combined. Yes, it's a bit short, but don't be surprised  if the later chapters are considerably longer. The rating is  generally 'Teen", but the rating will go up in some chapters.  Eventual male/male slash(Seto/Alister). This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh fic  and I hope that everything is in character and up to snuff in this  huge anime fandom. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Default Chapter

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes: I wasn't really sure what to do with this fic, until I realized that some of the fics posted to the LJ comms, "InsertPhrase" and "100Leitmotifs" could easily be a series of one-shots(like kibbles and bits), and some could be combined into a single fic. I decided to treat this fic as chapter one of a larger fic since some of the challenges could easily be combined. Yes, it's a bit short, but don't be surprised if the later chapters are considerably longer. The rating is generally 'Teen", but the rating will go up in some chapters. Eventual male/male slash(Seto/Alister). This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh fic and I hope that everything is in character and up to snuff in this huge anime fandom. Enjoy!

* * *

Seto sensed someone in the room. All he could do was sense, as all he could see was darkness. All he could hear was his own breathing. Any other time, Seto Kaiba would dismiss this as an illusion of just barely opening one's eyes after being asleep, but this time, he just couldn't do that. He couldn't do much of anything, really, except realize that it wasn't Mokuba. His younger brother would have called out first, and that hasn't happened.

Sure, he could have called out to the darkness, but he chose not to since he honestly believed that doing such a thing would have been stupid. Seto Kaiba made it a point to never do anything stupid. So, he sat up on the bed, his blue eyes adjusting to the dark, but still seeing nothing but more dark, and hearing nothing but his own breathing.

"Mokuba?" He whispered without even thinking. No answer. Seto bit his lip, feeling around the bed for his little brother and felt nothing but sheets. "Mokuba..." Now, he could hear his heartbeat along with quickening breath. He fumbled around for a lamp or a switch, but a beam of moonlight caught his eye, and he looked straight ahead, expecting nothing but simple shadows. Instead, he saw

"Alister!" Seto gasped, frozen in place.

He remembered Alister. How could he forget the vengeful redhead who almost took his soul in a Duel at Pegasus' building? Now he was in the same room Seto slept in, and how he got in was a mystery. What wasn't quite a mystery was how Alister arrived period. Seto Kaiba could see it now. A motorcycle, no doubt, or maybe a high speed car. A fierce grey eyed driver running over everything and everyone to reach his goal. None of that mattered now as the moonlight gave Alister an almost ethereal appearance. He wore a trenchcoat as black as the room, and his grey eyes were hidden behind golden sunglasses. All else remained the same, but that didn't matter either.

Alister's lips curled into a smile as he walked over to the foot of the bed. "Kaiba. You didn't think you could escape me, did you?"

Seto opened his mouth, but nothing would come out, except for his quick breathing. He thought of Mokuba and where his little brother could be. He'd demand it of Alister if he could just get the words out his mouth, but his muscles tensed when he found that he couldn't. He had never been in a situation where his mouth failed him like this, but he had never seen a dangerous enemy get this close to him either.

_Damn you, Alister! _Seto looked upwards, trying to think of ways to escape, but before he could even consider moving, Alister grabbed his arms and pinned him to the bed. _No, this isn't happening_! When he felt Alister's breath mingle with his, Seto struggled, but the gloved grip tightened. He glared into golden shades, but all he could see was his own face staring back at him.

"I have you in my eye," the whisper caressed Seto's mouth, it glided through his brown hair, and easily reached his ears.

"No!" Again Seto tried to struggle, but Alister threw him back down.

"KAIBA!"

"No!" Seto woke with his heart in his throat. He breathed slowly as he scanned the room, seeing mainly the windows brightened by new sunlight. Alister was nowhere to be seen.

"Seto!"

_Mokuba._

"Seto, what's wrong?"

"Mokuba..." He struggled to sit up, but that didn't stop him from grabbing his black haired little brother, lifting him on the bed and holding him. "Are you okay?"

"Yea, I'm all right." Mokuba looked into Seto's blue eyes. "What about you? You had a bad dream, didn't you?"

_About him, and it won't be the last one, I'm sure of it. _But, Seto Kaiba never said those words. Judging from the look on his little brother's face, he really didn't need to. The rumbling sound of an engine outside startled both Kaiba brothers, causing Seto to grit his teeth. Despite feeling his nerves crawl, he refused to be afraid.

"That can't be him," Seto mumbled. _It had better not be him._

"I have dreams about him too," Mokuba looked down. "I dreamt that he would kidnap me and take me away from you..."

"I will not allow that to happen!" The idea that someone like Alister would take his younger brother scared Seto more than Pegesus and Noa combined. He barely took the former seriously and the latter was a spoiled, sociopathtic virtual boy who used his toys to brainwash Mokuba. But, Alister? The Doom Warrior was different, much different. Seto Kaiba had never seen anyone like him, and he perfectly hated that fact. Just thinking of it made him hold Mokuba so tightly, he could feel his heart.

_Damn you, Alister! No one has ever gotten to either of us this way! You will pay!_


	2. Antarctica Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Author's Notes: Whew. About time. This turned out differently than what was originally planned(Alister was supposed to be behind the wheel of a car this chapter and I didn't even consider Valon as someone to pair with Alister), but it happens with fics, especially ones that take a long time to update. I honestly do believe that my interpretation of Alister does deviate from how others see him(you'll see how shortly), but I consider him in character. If others don't, well too bad. I just see Alister as the 'antithesis' of Seto Kaiba, but still one half of the same coin. Anyway, beware of falling swear words and enjoy!_

_Author's Notes: Whew. About time. This turned out differently than what was originally planned(Alister was supposed to be behind the wheel of a car this chapter and I didn't even consider Valon as someone to pair with Alister), but it happens with fics, especially ones that take a long time to update. I honestly do believe that my interpretation of Alister does deviate from how others see him(you'll see how shortly), but I consider him in character. If others don't, well too bad. I just see Alister as the 'antithesis' of Seto Kaiba, but still one half of the same coin. Anyway, beware of falling swear words and enjoy!_

It's been said that revenge is a dish best served cold. Alister called bullshit. For him, revenge was a dish best served hot. Smoking hot, like food so spicy that it seared a person's tongue just by taking a small bite. Or, a cigarette whose tip burnt a bright red when inhaled. Alister leaned back against the seat and slowly exhaled, watching the smoke make a leisurely trip to the ceiling.

With a single tap, ashes fell on a glossy picture of Seto Kaiba. Alister had many pictures of the young CEO. He collected them the way one collected stamps, comic books, or video games. The key difference was that he always had to replace the pictures he acquired as many of them didn't last long, especially when impaled on walls with silver six-inch throwing knives.

The use of knives was an artform that took years to master, and boy did he master them. Everything Alister did was an art, and like the arts, one was never entirely satisfied with their handiwork, which left plenty of room for improvement. For example, two of the throwing knives poked right through Seto's eyes, but they didn't quite hit the pupils, and that just wouldn't do. What did do, however, was the third knife. That one pleased Alister very much as it landed right on Seto Kaiba's mouth.

Perfect. Like the smoke rings Alister breathed out. Or, like Seto Kaiba's slender, finely manicured hands. Taking his eyes off the mounted picture, Alister looked at the one on the table. That one had the Kaiba youth sitting down at his desk, his hands folded, and his handsome face stoic as always.

_Inhuman sack of shit. _

Alister had a thousand insults for Seto Kaiba, and those were just in English. He spoke five languages fluently and two more just enough to get by. That equated to so many insults that Alister would never have to worry about saying anything good about Kaiba.

Except for the eyes. They reminded Alister of Antarctica ice turned a deep, rich blue by the shadows of the sun. Beautiful, no question of that, but cold, very cold. Holding the cigarette firmly in his mouth, Alister took a deep breath, feeling the smoke enter his lungs before slowly exhaling over the picture.

He noticed the hands again, realizing that he couldn't come up with insults for those either. It's been said that you can tell a lot about a person by their hands. Again, Alister called bullshit. Seto's hands looked soft and delicate, but Alister knew that Seto was neither soft or delicate. Callous proved a far more fitting adjective. He looked down at his own hands. He currently wore arm length fingerless gloves, but he knew that his hands were riddled with callouses. His fingers proved that.

Exhaling a puff of smoke, Alister found himself wondering what Seto's hands would feel like. Would they be as cold as Seto himself? Alister didn't doubt that as he found himself shivering to phantom hands that glided over his shoulders. Would they be as soft as they looked? Or delicate? He could feel his own body tingle as he imagined those hands over his chest, his bare midriff, his thighs, his--

"No! Fucking! Way!" Each word followed the rhythm of a cigarette twisting over the picture. Unclenching his teeth, Alister reached behind his back and pulled out a black handled, Italian style switchblade.

"There will be hell to pay," he whispered right before slicing the ash coated picture in half. Alister felt far from satisfied, so he reached back to his trenchcoat and pulled out two butterfly knives. Deftly flipping them both, Alister impaled the remains of the picture--right over the pupils of Seto's Antarctica eyes.

Perfect. Just like the onyx colored Colt .45 that might as well have leapt into Alister's gloved hand. If he really wanted to, he could have easily tracked down Seto and given him a nice bullet shower. He could have done much worse with his knives. Except he didn't do any of that, preferring to ensure a better world by simply attempting to take Seto's soul for the Great Leviathan.. Shaking his head, Alister couldn't help but smile bitterly as he turned the gun over. When he was a child, guns were the only way that he and his friends could protect themselves. They worked well enough against looters and wanna-be kiddie rapists, but they did little good against missiles. Hell, not even tanks--Alister grit his teeth as he gently put the gun down.

It's been said that those without weapons can still die by them. This time, Alister didn't call bullshit. He couldn't. Until Seto Kaiba and all those like him are fed to Dartz's great beast, he never could. Just being reminded of such a reality made him want to check his blood pressure to see how close it was to the roof. Reaching over for another cigarette, his gray eyes fell on another picture. Only it wasn't of Seto.

_Valon_.

Now Alister's blood pressure went past the roof and into the stratosphere. Valon, fellow Doom member. Valon, who at the tender age of fourteen, managed to win what was left of Alister's heart. Valon, who at the age of fifteen, managed to take that same heart and stomp all over it, so he could be 'free'. Now, the young Australian/British/Spanish/Greek/whateverthefuck he was pined over some blond slut. If Alister grit his teeth anymore, they would have shattered, just like his heart did so many times in his nineteen years of life. Of course, he should be laughing at the irony of it all. Little blond slut wanted nothing to do with poor little Valon, but Alister never found it funny. Instead, he just found it pathetic. At least he was able to get over the fact that Valon would never be his. Or, he kept telling himself that everytime he wanted to murder the blond bitch and Valon.

_First thing's first_. Pulling the butterfly knives off the desk, Alister tore up the remains of Seto's picture. _You Seto Kaiba, are first._ _You're due, motherfucker._ _Gaming company, my ass, and what's with this shit about Kaiba Land? Please._

He looked back over at Valon's picture, which had never been touched. Everytime Alister even thought of doing so, he'd freeze, and then desecrate a picture of Seto Kaiba. He put the palms of his hands flat against the table, and took each breath slowly.

_It'll be easier once Kaiba is gone. _

Alister stood up, slamming his gloved hands against the desk. As he quickly pulled on his black trenchcoat, ashes and shredded pictures flew around him like deformed insects. More pieces of Kaiba picture scattered to the floor when he removed his throwing knives from the wall and hid them, along with his other weapons, in his coat. When he saw the intact picture of Valon, whose own Antarctica eyes accused him, Alister stiffened, as if suddenly mesmerized. He didn't know how much time had passed before he grabbed his car keys and stalked out of the room, his trenchcoat billowing behind him.

_Bullshit._


	3. Greater Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Author's Notes: Phew. Finally. Yes, I'm slow, but I do update. As you can see, this chapter is the longest and as usual, didn't turn out the way I thought it would. Maybe it's for the best. I pegged Industrial Illusions to simply be in San Fransisco instead of what appeared to be a desert. See, the deserts are actually pretty far to the south east(at least a few hours drive), so I kind of modified everything based on what I found about California. I also put Paradius in the same city. Can't hurt any. At any rate, enjoy. Oh, there's quite a bit of Mai bashing here, but that's Alister's fault, not mine. Heh._

_Author's Notes: Phew. Finally. Yes, I'm slow, but I do update. As you can see, this chapter is the longest and as usual, didn't turn out the way I thought it would. Maybe it's for the best. I pegged Industrial Illusions to simply be in San Fransisco instead of what appeared to be a desert. See, the deserts are actually pretty far to the south east(at least a few hours drive), so I kind of modified everything based on what I found about California. I also put Paradius in the same city. Can't hurt any. At any rate, enjoy. Oh, there's quite a bit of Mai bashing here, but that's Alister's fault, not mine. Heh._

"It's like a goddamned sauna in here," Alister muttered, his bootsteps echoing in the dark Paradius garage. As his trenchcoat sliced through the air, he couldn't help but remember complaining about the same thing to Valon a little over a year ago.

_Gee, mate, maybe you should have thought of that--_

_Shut up, Valon! You're just jealous because I look good!_

Of course, if Valon had said that now, Alister would have simply given him a nice cup of shut the fuck up. He sure as hell wouldn't be kidding either. He suddenly stopped at his red motorcycle that now stood alone. He didn't know nor care where Valon and Mai would be, but Raphael? Alister sighed, knowing full well that he'd either be with or, at the very least, near them.

Alister's lean muscles tensed as he pictured his longtime best friend with those two. Valon was never the friend that Alister was, and Mai was nothing at all. He didn't want to help how he felt as his gloved hands clenched into fists.

_I'd give my left nut to have Raphael here now. _

It'd be perfect. They'd go driving together while Alister badmouths Valon at over ninety miles per hour. Raphael would sit with his arms crossed, nodding at every swear word as the freeway flew past them. Not that it would happen now. Raphael was nothing if not the leader of the three DOOM swordsmen and like most decent leaders, he would be where he was needed the most.

Spinning on his heel, Alister almost ran from his bike. He understood, of course. In fact, if he were the leader, he'd do the same, but that didn't stop his blood from boiling. Just as Seto Kaiba didn't deserve the wealth and power he had, Valon and Mai didn't deserve to smell Raphael's shit, much less have him at their side.

_Besides, we built a car together_.

The car was a shiny black Camaro with a vintage nineteen-seventies exterior and an interior that contained the very best modern times had to offer. It took the two of them one year to build it from the bottom up and everytime they had a chance to upgrade it, they did.

Alister grinned as he opened the door and slid into the driver's seat, which was made of the same Russian leather as his trenchcoat. He didn't find the heat as intense in the car as he did in the garage itself, but he still found himself wincing when his exposed fingertips touched anything.

"Better than freezing my ass off," he muttered while shifting out of neutral and stabbing the ignition. While the engine rumbled, he turned on the air conditioner and settled back in his seat, letting the cool air seep through his trenchcoat and caress his bare belly. Closing his eyes, he grit his teeth as he recalled the duel against Seto Kaiba.

He was so damned close to winning, he could have tasted it, but it ended up in a draw, a goddamned draw. Alister supposed that it could have been worse, but he knew it could have been better if it weren't for a huge blue-grey dragon that appeared out of nowhere.

_Clitoris? Oh, Critias. Whatever..._

Just that he couldn't deny his own mistakes no matter how much he wanted to put the blame entirely on Kaiba. He remembered attacking Pitch Dark Dragon with his Gorlag and he thought it was brilliant at the time. Now? Not so much. On the way back from the island, he felt like banging his head against the helicopter's controls as he practically dragged the sky with him when he went full throttle. He could have destroyed Pitch Dark with Versago and then directly attack Kaiba with Gorlag. But noooo...he didn't do that. Sure, he did well in spite of that mistake and almost won, but almost wasn't good enough.

_God damned dragon!_

Sighing, Alister ran his hand over the gearstick while his other tightened around the steering wheel. He couldn't imagine what the duel would have been like if Valon were there. Just a year ago, he probably would have dragged the younger boy along with him. Now? "Fuck no" wouldn't have been a strong enough answer. Valon almost always considered Alister a 'sloppy duelist', and that always made Alister's already hot blood become volcanic. Not that a breath of fire ever stopped Valon. Nah. He just grinned and claimed that he 'struck a nerve' which, of course, infuriated Alister even more. Not something he needed while flying a helicopter twelve thousand feet above the Pacific Ocean.

At least Raphael had greater faith, a fact that made Alister smile. Never once did Raphael accuse him of being 'sloppy' nor did he ever lecture him. Instead, Raphael would give a knowing look, which was more than enough to inspire Alister to try harder and become stronger. Perfect for dueling with Seto Kaiba, perhaps with Joey Wheeler and the Pharaoh if the need ever arose. He didn't think it'd ever be necessary though. He never questioned Raphael's ability and as much as he wanted to cut off Valon's dick, he knew that the young Aussie mix was a powerful and unique duelist.

Alister opened his grey eyes. Seto Kaiba was far from unique, but very powerful. Once upon a time, he was the best duelist in the entire world and then the Pharaoh ended that fairy tale. Alister knew that he would do the same. Regardless of his mistake, he threw the CEO off in ways that no one, not even the great Pharaoh, ever could. No one, not even Valon, would accuse Alister of being a 'weak' duelist once Kaiba's soul became Leviathan food. With that in mind, he kicked the car in gear, released the handbrake, and scorched the cement as he practically flew out of the garage.

_Heh. I feel a whole lot better now. _

He quickly upshifted, easily passing the much slower cars. In the San Francisco streets, Alister was King and God. People might see that as arrogance, but not him. He saw it as simple fact, and knew for certain that no one could challenge him. Especially not a cell phone talking SUV that tried to sideswipe him. He quickly floored it, easily avoiding the much larger vehicle. All Alister could do was shake his head.

_Pathetic._

Still, he knew for certain that an oblivious driver was the least of his concerns. Nah. A timid driving shithead in front of him proved far more irritating as it suddenly stopped right in the middle of the right lane just because another car tried to exit a parking lot. Most drivers would have stopped behind the panicky car, but not Alister. Oh hell no. Gritting his teeth, he quickly swerved past the car, neither knowing nor caring if the other car ever got out.

_Lucky._

This time, Alister could feel his blood pressure rise once again. Those very same drivers were the sort that stopped while they were supposed to be merging into traffic, the ones that slowed down too quickly for God knew why, the ones who drove too slow in the speeding lanes, and the ones who almost never turned unless no approaching car was in sight. Alister always had and always would swear up and down that such drivers caused more accidents than everyone else combined. That included the rubberneckers, the zombies, and the numbskulls who couldn't back up their aggressiveness with skill. Other drivers made him grateful that he was taught by the best: Raphael. Thanks to him, Alister had never even been in a near miss, much less an accident, and he grinned at that fact. He knew for absolute certainty that he would keep it that way.

Not even the often sloping, hilly roads San Francisco was noted for threatened him. He traversed them easily, as he were a native of the renowned and beautiful California city, which he was not. He wasn't even from America. None of the DOOM members were, except Mai, and even she was part Japanese.

_Like Kaiba._

He slammed on the brake, glaring up at the red light like it was a thing in the way. Alister amazed himself with how quickly his feelings could change. Just a second ago, he actually felt like a million bucks. Now, he could easily burn that million the same way he cut and burnt multiple pictures of Seto Kaiba. Or, like the rubber he burnt when the light turned green. After shifting to third, Alister turned on the CD player and pure electronic noise blared out of the speakers. He could feel it pulsate through his veins as he reached a state of raging euphoria he hadn't felt for quite awhile. Easing back against the seat, he kept one gloved hand on the wheel and the other on the gearstick. For Alister, anger music was happy music, but even at his angriest, he could never deny how bright San Francisco always seemed to be, even in the less than 'ritzy' areas.

Alister always figured that it had to do with the very nature of the people. They defied everything that needed defying, including war. Those who were "alternative" were more than welcome and in some areas, Alister not only felt safe, but accepted. He never took a single soul in those areas and he never would, no matter what others might say. Alister realized that he would not be going in that direction because he passed by a garish pink and purple sign that quoted, "If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.".

_Pegasus._

An actress named Katherine Hepburn quoted that statement, but the cute bunny cartoons and a Dark Magician Girl surrounding the quote indicated that the creator of Duel Monsters used it too. Alister smirked, knowing full well that people in San Fransisco and similar cities would agree. He knew damned well Valon would have and upon thinking of that ungrateful prick, he knew exactly where to go. Passing by a large blue Cadillac Convertible, Alister headed towards Industrial Illusions in half the time it took for most people to get there.

Whenever he saw Pegasus's main building, Alister always thought it looked like a giant silver penis. Or rather, one giant penis and a smaller one to the side. He remembered how Valon would giggle at the analogy and Alister himself couldn't help but find it funny. Even the monsters Pegasus really used for dueling looked like they had penises on their eyeball filled heads. Raphael, who seldom laughed, found that hilarious when Alister mentioned it to him.

Still, the building was a shimmering silver color that shone like white gold when the sun struck it just right. The sides were all windows that faced each other and looked like golden glitter during the day, and white diamonds at night. Alister couldn't help but admire its Spartan beauty and was not surprised that Pegasus himself designed the place. However, he wasn't concerned with the towers at this time; he only cared about what was in them.

Alister felt tingly as soon as he pulled up in front of the entrance. He tingled more when he shifted to neutral and lifted the parking brake. He knew what the feeling meant; his instincts were correct and he couldn't believe that he didn't figure it out sooner. Then again, he had a lot on his mind after finally meeting Kaiba for the first time. After turning off the CD player, he saw a group of individuals in front of the door, but they had nothing to do with him. Well, not really. The tallest one had short hair in the back and a huge spike in the front. Even from behind, Alister sensed that the guy could have easily been in the military if he wanted to be. On his right stood a girl in a light white jacket and a short, pleated beige skirt with matching knee high boots. Alister didn't know nor care who she was, but he knew who stood on the faux military boy's left.

The Pharaoh. Anyone with the intelligence of stone knew who the Pharaoh was and knew what he looked like. Just the heavily spiked black, red and blonde hair was enough of a tell-tale sign. He was close to the girl's height, but far shorter than the boy's. Still, the Pharaoh had a commanding presence even when his back was turned. It made sense for Raphael to target him. That, and the fact that Raphael could wipe the floor with every duelist in the world. Alister didn't doubt that even Kaiba would become a brown stain on the ground if he ever dueled Raphael. The thought amused the redhead, but he knew that he'd never have to worry about anyone covering for him. He'd defeat Kaiba, and then have some fun with everyone else, except for Raphael.

As for Joey Wheeler, all Alister had to do was lean a little towards the steering wheel and there he was, almost as tall as the brown haired boy and wearing denim jeans, a denim coat, white t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. His blond hair was a mess, not like Valon's, but a mess anyway. He knew that Wheeler relied a lot on luck and while Alister couldn't find any fault with that, Valon sure did. That dolt, much like Kaiba, never believed in luck. That same dolt, also much like Kaiba, considered Joey 'feisty', but either a "bonkotsu" or a 'mediocre plank (Australian for idiot).' Alister never really felt that way about Wheeler. He didn't feel much about him either way, but admired Joey's devotion to his little sister, Serenity. For that reason, he could never go out of his way to insult or play mind games with Joey that way Valon and Kaiba seemed to take pleasure in.

_Fuck you, Valon. Fuck you, Kaiba. Maybe you two should get together and go fuck yourselves._

Then, there was Mai. Oh, yes. Mai Valentine, the 'slut' of the dueling world. Or at least that's what Alister wanted to believe. He could barely see her beyond the four people in front of her, but he saw her long, blond hair and her purple leather ensemble complete with thigh high boots and elbow length gloves. She held her black dueling disk up and Alister pressed his lips together. She challenged Joey to a duel and quite naturally, he accepted.

_I have to give credit where it's due, she could beat him. She's good. So, where would that leave poor Valon? Aww, poor baby, no Joey Wheeler to take on so you could hopefully win that trash thing you call a 'beautiful woman'. She doesn't give a shit about you, loser._

He knew Valon was there and had no doubt that Raphael was with him. Alister couldn't see them though, but he knew that they had to be on the balcony above everything. He wondered if he should join the two of them, but realized that being anywhere near Mai and Valon gave him hives and so quickly decided against it. He saw Mai hold out a card and he knew right away what it was: the Seal of Orichalchos. Alister held his Orichalchos pendant tight, but green light flooded out between his fingers. Now Mai and Joey were trapped within the Seal until either one of them loses the duel or they draw.

Alister didn't know who to route for. He'd love nothing more than to see Mai suffer a ton and that in turn would make Valon suffer. With her soul gone, he had no doubt that Valon would be dead set on Wheeler, which would be very bad for the 'Joe Blow duelist'. Alister had known Valon for three years, one of those as a friend and one more as a lover. He knew damned well what Valon was capable of. That kid was water, cold water. Not like the Arctic, that was Seto Kaiba. Rather, like the Mediterranean, known for clear, perfect blue beauty, but also known to be insanely wild. Alister knew it well, both in good and in bad ways. He winced when his right wrist throbbed with the memory of just what Valon would do to someone when angered, especially when threatened. Not wanting to remember what happened when their relationship finally disintegrated, Alister thought of the current duel.

If Mai were defeated, Alister didn't doubt that Joey would not only lose his soul, but his very body. So, in a way, it made sense to simply route for Mai. Even if she won, she'd lose and bring it all on herself since the Pharaoh was a powerful duelist in his own right and had the reputation of being very vindictive. Alister grinned; he could get behind that. Even if the Pharaoh didn't go after her, Raphael surely would. He disliked her as much as Alister did, and only Valon was more ruthless. Just that little "modern day Romeo" would never ever hurt his darling Mai. In fact, he'd probably protect her, and that thought set Alister's teeth on edge. If he had any ideas of going anywhere near Valon and Mai now, he quashed them.

_Just no. If Valon is on a balcony, I'll toss his little ass over._

Realizing that Joey was in deep trouble, Alister decided it was time to go. He stomped out of neutral, released the handbrake and gunned the engine. He could have sworn he saw a large blue convertible entering as he was leaving, but Alister didn't worry about that as he headed for the freeway. He thought of exiting San Francisco entirely and drive to Altamont Pass or wherever the eastern path took him. Such a thing was not new to him, and for most people, such a drive took about two hours. Not for Alister, he could get there in just over half the time and then be back home for some nice, Italian dinner before planning on how to get Seto Kaiba once and for all.

As soon as he was able, he kicked the car in high gear, masterfully weaving around any vehicles that got in his way. He didn't bother turning on his music as he wanted complete silence. Or least as much silence as a San Fransisco freeway had to offer until it became a path that went through the famed windfarm of Altamont Pass. He had never driven that way before, preferring to travel south or north, but he had flown over the mountainous area covered by windmills. The place took his breath away with it's golden fields that would suddenly turn green. From his helicopter or Raphael's plane, it looked like patchwork quilt made by a skilled sewer. He could only imagine what it would look like from the vantage point of a car. Plus, he always wanted to see what Professor Hopkins's house looked like from the ground before Raphael got his hands on it and on the noted Atlantean scholar.

Alister began to wonder how Joey and Mai were doing. If a soul were taken, he'd have known by now, so he assumed that either the duel continued or it ended in a draw. He didn't bother to use any scry ability to look. Mai wasn't worth it. A slight ping from his Orichalchos pendant told him that not only did the duel indeed continue, a legendary dragon was summoned.

"Hermos," the redhead whispered, then fell silent as he put on his signature golden sunglasses. _Mai is so screwed. Poor Valon. _

_Not that they don't deserve to suffer._

He didn't know how long he traveled, but he knew he was halfway to Altamont Pass and that's when his cellphone went off. Most drivers would try to run their mouths while driving, but not Alister. He hated doing that and tried to avoid it whenever possible, so he pulled over to the side of the road, glad that it was no longer a huge freeway.

Alister knew who it was as soon as he answered. "Raphael?"

"Mai didn't defeat Joey." Came the simple and to the point reply. Alister always loved that about his best friend.

The redhead found himself salivating in spite of himself. "Did she lose her soul?"

"No, Valon saved her."

"What?" He could feel his blood pressure rising. Not that he was surprised Valon would rescue his lady whore. Still, he couldn't help but feel sick. "He broke the Seal, didn't he?"

"Yes. He jumped from the balcony and used his ring to break the Seal. I had to teleport all three of us away."

"Where are you at?"

"Mai--"

"I don't give a shit about Mai!" Alister snapped.

"Heh. Me neither, but Valon is back at Paradius. He's hurt."

Alister's stomach dropped. "Hurt?" He sighed. "Of course...to break the Seal and not have the power to deal with it... ." Alister grit his teeth. _Fucking idiot! He could have been killed!_ _And for what? "_How badly is he injured?"

"Not too badly. It won't take long for him to recover."

"I see." Alister leaned back against the seat. "So, where are you at?"

"Altamont Pass, near the professor's house. I have a group ready to take the old man and then I'll leave my mark there."

Alister leaned forward. "I'm half way there. We'll meet at the Professor's house-"

"That won't be necessary," Raphael interrupted. "I need you in Death Valley with your helicopter. You'll find me, I know you will."

"Of course I will," Alister grinned, holding right hand up in a gesture Dartz often used when casting a spell. "Beautiful..." He whispered when he saw Raphael on top of a green hill near mechanical windmills. A white helicopter with wheels sat behind him, ready to pounce on the professor's house at his beck and call. "So, the professor is a decoy to lure the Pharaoh and his friends to you. And from there, you duel the Pharaoh, yes?" He put his hand down and the vision vanished. As a sorcerer in his own right, Alister knew that such magic could not be used too often as it took energy and he didn't want to use his considerable energy right now. Best to save it for Kaiba.

"Yup." Raphael answered. "I don't know when the friends will come by, but by the time they do, the professor's lab will be rubble."

"When you're ruthless, I don't mind so much," Alister said. "I trust you completely."

Raphael chuckled, "Deserts were made to train the faithful."

Alister couldn't help but find that amusing, even though he knew from experience that it was true. "Oh, ha ha ha. No one's more faithful than the two of us. I'm on my way." Alister turned off the cellphone and removed his sunglasses. "Valon...". He shook his head, remembering what he himself had done for his ex-boyfriend. "You never risked yourself for me." Alister took out his pack of smokes and lit up. "But, you're not important right now." Cigarette between his fingers, he grabbed the gearshift. "I have other, more important things to deal with". He spun around and headed right back to San Fransisco.

On the way, he passed a blue Cadillac convertible going in the opposite direction. Realizing that the Pharaoh and his friends were in there, Alister couldn't help but smile.


End file.
